Notebook



Patented Aug. 5, 1941 NOTEBOOK George A. Canning, Davenport, Iowa, assignor to The Lakeside-Central Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 12, 1940, Serial No. 356,454

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in note books, and more particularly to a note book having relatively stiff covers hinged to swing freely through substantially 360 degrees.

Note books of this type are particularly suitable for use in stenographic work where it is desirable to stand the note book up so that the leaves thereof are presented in an inclined position for good visibility by the user during transcription therefrom.

In using a note book in this manner, the covers are swung beyond a straightopen position to a reversed position, with the covers spread at a suitable supporting angle. It is apparent that if the supporting edges of the covers are spread too far apart the covers are apt to slide on the supporting surface and the book will collapse. Also, if the angle of the supporting covers is too acute. the book will have an inadequate supporting base and the leaves will be at an undesirable angle for comfortable vision by the user.

In order to overcome such difficulties, nonskid gripping elements have been applied to the supporting edges of the covers. This treatment, however, has added materially to the cost of the note books and it is also necessary in setting up books of this type to adjust the angle of the covers until a suitable reading angleof the exposed leaf is attained.

Accordingly, this invention has for an object the provision of a note book of the above described type which is inexpensive to make and which is provided with supporting means which effectively prevent the book from collapsing and automatically adjust the book at a desirable angle for reading by the user when the book is set up.

This invention provides an additional supporting member which carries the major part of the weight of the book, thereby diminishing the outward thrust on the covers which ordinarily causes the book to collapse. The covers merely serve to steady the book and frictional gripping edges on the covers are no longer necessary to prevent them from slipping under the weight of the book.

In the drawing Figure 1 shows a note book having a spiral binder disposed in upstanding position and provided with a supporting member in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a note book embodying a modification of the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another modilines and the leaves removed.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the supporting member shown in Figure '7 before it has been set up; and

Figure 9 is a variation of the note book cover shown in Figure 8.

Referring to the drawing, a pair of spaced substantially rigid covers II and I2 and an intermediate leaf or filler section I3 are suitably hinged together by a spiral hinge I4 extending through openings I5 in the adjacent ends of the covers and the leaves. A supporting member I6 is also hinged together with the leaves and covers, and all of them are hinged so that they may be swung through substantially 360 degrees. The supporting member may be made of the same material as the covers and is positioned on the spiral hinge I4 between the two covers when the latter are back to back. As shown in Figure 5, the supporting member I6 is behind the back cover when the book is in a closed position and, of course, by swinging through substantially 360 degrees it would be lying on top of the front cover.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the

supporting member is the same width as the covers and is somewhat shorter. The length of this member determines the angle at which the leaves will be displayed, since the supporting edges of the covers slide outwardly under the weight of the book until the end of the supporting member reaches the desk or other object, thereby relieving the weight from the hinged edges of the covers. The length of the member will consequently be such that the leaves will be presented at a comfortable reading angle when the supporting member is standing on the desk in a substantially perpendicular position between the two covers.

In Figure 2, the supporting member I6 is provided with an L-shaped lower end or foot II which further serves to stabilize the book when set up. This may be formed by bending the lower margin of member 16 at right angles thereto to form a foot which may be straightened out when the book is in a closed position or folded back in a writing position. The foot may be of any width and if the member I6 is originally the same length as the covers, the width of the foot when bent outwardly will determine the resulting angle of the covers when the book is set up as described in connection with Figure 1.

Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2, but the supporting member is provided with two feet I8 and I9 extending in opposite directions which may be formed in the manner described in connection with Figure 2. The lower margin of the member It may be divided first and the resulting portions thereof bent outwardly in opposite directions. These feet tend to further stabilize the book when in upstanding position and may be folded out straight when the book is in a fiat position.

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 and has a supporting member It with a foot H as wellas a second supporting member 20 having a foot H. The second supporting member is formed in the same manner as the first and is also hinged to the book in the same way. In this embodiment the feet I! and 2| are turned inwardly toward each other. Of course, each of the supporting members It and 2e may be provided with oppositely extending feet as described in connec- 1, and the cut-out portion is free to be swung independently of the frame. The width of the supporting member is necessarily less than that shown in Figure 1 in order to leave suilicient margins of the cover to support the leaves of the note book in a position for inspection. When the i book is in a closed position, the member I6 is moved back within the margins of the cover and forms a part of the cover. The member I6 may be formed from either the front orback cover. 7 V

Figure '7 is similar to Figure 2, but the foot portion II has been turned up at the ends 22 which are provided with ears 23 for inserting in slots 24, thereby locking the foot in extended position.

In Figure 8, the supporting member is is shown in a flat position before being bent into the shape shown in Figure 7; By locking the ears 23 in the slots 24, thefoot portion I1 is braced and considerably strengthened. It is apparent thatya supporting member of the type shown in Figure '7 may be made with two oppositely disposed foot portions such as shownin Figure 3,,and each of these provided with interlocking ears. Figure 9 shows the blank of a supporting member of this type which may be set up in a manner similar to that described in connection with Figure 7.

It will be noted that the supporting members in each instance may be made to assume a perfectly flat position and consequently do not appreciably increase the, bulk of the book. When the book is in an open position for writing with the covers folded back to back, the supporting member will be inconspicuously positioned between them and when the book is in a closed position, as shown in Figure 5, the member will lay perfectly flat next to one of the covers.

In placing the note book in an upstanding position, as shown in the drawing, it is not necessary to adjust the angle of the covers so that the lower end of the supporting member will rest on the desk with the leaves supported at the proper angle. This is done automatically As the covers are swung back, the supporting member is permitted to swing independently of the covers. Consequently, if the book is made to stand on the edges of the covers in the manner of an ordinary note book of this type, the supporting member, which is shorter than the covers, will automatically swing to a perpendicular position with respect to the desk and the sup-porting edges of the covers will slide outwardly under the weight of the book until the supporting member reaches the surface of the desk and relieves the weight from the covers. The note book will then be firmly supported with the pages at a suitable reading angle.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact embodiments shown, which are by way of illustration and not limitation, as other forms will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A note book comprising covers composed of relatively stiff material, leaves intermediate the covers, a hinge connecting said leaves and covers, and a supporting member composed of relatively stiff material connected to said hinge adjacent one of said covers and exteriorly thereof when the book is in a closed position, said supporting member being proportioned with respect to said covers to be supportingly engageable with a supporting surface and adapted to swing into a substantially vertical supporting position between the covers when said covers have been turned to form an easel support for the leaves.

2. A note book comprising covers composed of relatively stiff material, leaves intermediate the covers, a hinge connecting said leaves and covers, and a supporting member composed of relatively stiff material having a length less than that of said covers connected to said hinge and being adapted to assume a supporting position between said covers when the latter are in easel forming position. I

3. A note book comprising covers composed of relatively stiff material, leaves intermediate the covers, a hinge connecting said leaves and covers, and a supporting member composed of relatively stiff material connected adjacent one end thereof to said hinge, said member being provided at the other end with a laterally extending foot portion, said member being proportioned with respect to said covers to be supportingly engageable with a supporting surface and adapted to assume a supporting position between said covers when the latter are in easel-forming position.

4. A note book comprising covers composed of relatively stiff material, leaves intermediate the covers, a hinge connecting said leaves and covers, and supporting members composed of relatively stiff material connected to said hinge, said members being provided with foot portions extending in opposite directions, said supporting members being proportioned with respect to said covers to be supportingly engageable with a supporting surface and adapted to assume supporting positions between said covers when the latter are in easel-forming position.

5. A note book comprising a pair of covers, leaves intermediate'said covers, hinged connections at one end of said covers and leaves connecting them for swinging movement whereby the covers may assume an easel-forming position with respect to said leaves, and a supporting member connected at one end to said hinged connection and being proportioned with respect to said covers to be supportingly engageable with a supporting surface whereby said member may assume a supporting position between said covers when the latter are in easel-forming position.

6. A note book comprising covers composed of relatively stiff material, leaves intermediate the covers, a hinged connection for connecting said covers and leaves, and a Supporting member of relatively stiff material connected adjacent one end to said hinged connection and having oppositely extending foot members at the other end, said supporting member being proportioned with respect to said covers to be supportingly engageable with a supporting surface and adapted to swing into a supporting position between said covers when the latter are in easelforming position.

7. A note book comprising a pair of covers, leaves intermediate the covers, hinged connections at one end of said covers and leaves connecting them for swinging movement whereby the covers may assume an easel-forming position with respect to said leaves, one of said covers having a cut-out portion adapted to swing on said hinged connection independently of the covers to assume a supporting position between said covers when the latter are in easel-forming position.

8. A note book comprising covers composed of relatively stifi material, leaves intermediate the covers, a hinge connecting said leaves and covers, a supporting member composed of relatively stiff material connected adjacent one end thereof to said hinge, said member being provided at the other end with a laterally extending foot portion and adapted to assume a supporting position between said covers when the latter are in easel-forming position, and means for locking said foot portion in extended position.

9. A note book comprising an assembly including covers composed of relatively stiff material, leaves intermediate the covers, means for hingedly connecting said leaves and covers whereby said covers may assume an easel-forming position, a supporting member and means for hingedly connecting said member to said assembly whereby said member extends downwardly from the top of the assembly when the covers are in easel-forming position, said member being proportioned to be supportingly engageable with a supporting surface between said covers When the latter are in easel-forming position.

GEORGE A. CANNING. 

